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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22958395">Open-Minded Parenting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna'>Nevanna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Hypnotists Series - Gordan Korman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Drama, Gen, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Missing Scene, Mother-Son Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:34:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22958395</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"No matter what her son might be able to do with that extraordinary brain of his, she and Ashton still have the same responsibilities as any parents: to make sure that he’s safe, and happy, and making good choices.  Maybe they could do better, but so far, they could also be doing a lot worse."</em>
</p>
<p>Monica Opus tries to keep the peace in her family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Open-Minded Parenting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This ficlet fills the "skeletons in the closet" square for the Hurt/Comfort Bingo amnesty period.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Monica pokes her head into her son’s room.  “Lights out in twenty minutes,” she reminds him. “Are you done with your homework yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jax taps the end of his pencil against his teeth.  “Just have to check it over before I collapse.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise that you’re not planning to hand the teacher a blank piece of paper and convince him that it’s full of right answers?” She tries to sound like she’s joking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Jax drops his pencil and twists around.  “You have any idea how sleazy that would be?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just checking.”  Monica realizes that she’s been avoiding eye contact, and hopes that he didn’t notice.  “As for collapsing, you know that Dad and I agreed to your… extracurricular studies... as long as they wouldn’t interfere with your regular schoolwork.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I remember…” Jax ducks his head.  “Hey, Mom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His voice holds a quaver of uncertainty.  “When we were meeting with Dr. Mako for the first time…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Memories of the Sentia Institute and its director, how confident and reassuring he had been even as he shook their world to its foundations, fill Monica’s head, and praise almost spills from her lips, but she swallows it down.  He’s not here right now, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and her little boy definitely looks upset about something.  “Go on,” she encourages.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dad said he shouldn’t have gotten married and had a kid,” Jax says, all in a rush.  “Did he really mean that? Does he wish I’d never been born?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sweetheart.”  Monica crosses the room and squeezes his shoulder.  “Of course not. And he knows by now that he shouldn’t have said it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that what you’ve been fighting about?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You weren’t supposed to hear…” She hopes that he only knows about their most recent argument, when she suggested that they try to be proud, and Ashton asked sarcastically if she was planning on buying a “My Kid Can Hypnotize Your Honor Student” bumper sticker.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I’m gonna have to get used to knowing things I’m not supposed to,” Jax mutters, sounding much older than twelve for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure the worst of the fighting is over,” Monica assures him.  “You have to understand that his family history was a secret, so he never learned how to talk about it with anybody.  But even if his heart has been hurting for a very long time, he knows in his head that he needs to deal with it somehow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are we supposed to do that?  He won’t even look at me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t we pick a Saturday and have breakfast together, before you need to show up at Sentia?” Monica suggests.  “We can talk it through, as a family. And maybe you can also speak with the other…” She hesitates.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hypnos,” Jax supplies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.  Some of them are your age, or were, not too long ago, and they’ve probably had to talk to their parents about what they’re doing.  And I wouldn’t be surprised if Dr. Mako had some insights. After all, he’s devoted his life to New York City education and…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know!” Jax snaps, then looks embarrassed.  “Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m in a forgiving mood tonight.”  Monica kisses the top of his head. He doesn’t need to hear that she’s used up all her anger on her husband.  No matter what her son might be able to do with that extraordinary brain of his, she and Ashton still have the same responsibilities as any parents: to make sure that he’s safe, and happy, and making good choices.  Maybe they could do better, but so far, they could also be doing a lot worse. “Love you, Jack-in-the-box.” The nickname is left over from his toddler and preschool years, and she’s not sure whether he even remembers it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She doesn’t mind when he rolls his eyes.  “Love you, too.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Although <em>The Hypnotists</em> was not published until I was in my twenties, my preteen and teenage self (who loved many of Korman's other books) would have felt Extremely Validated by the "ethics of mind control" and "evil mentor figure" content.  And when I rediscovered the books through the library where I work, I was fascinated by the way Jax's parents react to and are involved in his journey.  One moment in particular jumped out at me, and this ficlet was the result.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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